


Just A Dog

by RJKazooku



Series: The Dog House [1]
Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Adam is a Bad Man, Angst, Because that's what 'being a dog' is in this world, Character Study, Episode 4, Forced Servitude, Free Tadashi 2k21, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kikuchi Tadashi Deserves Better, Old Friends, it would be spicy okay?, this is my prediction for Cherry Blossom & Joe's grudge against Adam, which is BONK to me but whatever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:22:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29107020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RJKazooku/pseuds/RJKazooku
Summary: Seven years ago, the skater Infinite lost everything.Now, Kikuchi Tadashi finds himself back at 'S' for the first time in seven years, forced to watch Adam skate a beef against a teenager. Despite the guilt he feels however, the appearance of some old friends and their challenges to Adam give Tadashi a glimmer of hope.
Relationships: Kikuchi Tadashi & Nanjo Kojiro | Joe & Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Kikuchi Tadashi & Shindo Ainosuke | Adam, Nanjo Kojiro | Joe & Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom
Series: The Dog House [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2150511
Comments: 13
Kudos: 69





	Just A Dog

_“If I win, you need to stop. You cannot challenge anyone else to a beef again or skate like… like_ this _with other people. You cannot hurt others anymore.”_

_“Oho, Infinite-kun? That’s rather high stakes. We’ll need something equally risky for you to lay on the line.”_

_Adam hums, and a sly grin slips onto his face._

_“If you lose, you’ll be my dog. Forever.”_

* * *

“You’re just a dog.”

Tadashi ignores the way the words slice at his heart. It’s been seven years, and every time Adam says them, they reopen the old wound.

Instead, he simply keeps his composure and nods. Tadashi waits for Adam to get out of the car before taking a deep breath, allowing his shoulders to slump just the slightest, and then steps outside himself.

He waits in the shadows of the large space, in the background, and instead soaks in the noise.

It has been seven years since Tadashi came back to ‘S.’ For years now, he’s been trapped in that pompous mansion or in the creepy viewing room Adam has set up.

Rarely does he actually leave the blue-haired man’s property. Instead, he will spend the rest of his miserable life, trapped and forced to watch Adam prey upon others and crush them into submission in his own perverted, sadistic way.

The raucous cheering though, is like something out of one of Tadashi's dreams or distant memories. He cannot resist the small smile that creeps onto his face at the cheers and cries of skaters who love what they do. Then, the cheering increases tenfold, and a glance towards the area with the starting line reveals Adam gliding into the center.

“Adam! Adam! Adam!”

Tadashi shifts, just a little, to get a better glance and ignore the attention that Adam is drawing. It has been years, after all, but ‘S’ looks like it hasn’t changed one bit.

His movement, though, must draw some attention.

Two heads swivel towards him.

All Tadashi sees are flashes of pink and green before he tilts his head down towards the ground and away from the cliffside where he _knows_ they stand with their boards.

Seeing their faces, the faces of his once-closest friends (because they are not friends anymore, he speaks to no one, looks at no one, listens to no one _but Adam_ ), would be unbearable.

It has been seven years since that race.

The race where Tadashi, known as the skater Infinite, stood up to Adam and challenged him to a beef that supposedly would end all of Adam's violent beefs.

And Tadashi _lost_.

A glance up shows pink and green still looking his direction and Tadashi quickly returns his gaze to the ground.

He _failed_ them.

Tadashi could not protect others from falling to injuries at Adam’s hand, from falling away from skating thanks to Adam’s tricks, and now he stands here before the friends he failed and has to watch Adam prey upon young children and crush their love of skating.

Kaoru and Kojiro must be so disappointed.

But then the two of them careen down the cliffside and Tadashi smiles as the crowd cheers for them, drowning out the chants of his master's skating name. The two rivals swirl around Adam, in a move that can only be described as _charged_.

And then his heart _leaps_ at their words.

“It’s been awhile, Adam.”

“We’re here to challenge you to a beef.”

The crowd cheers, and from this distance, Tadashi can barely make out Kaoru’s next words.

“You know what we’ll be betting, right?”

What they’ll be betting? Tadashi thinks back to the last time he knew Adam, Joe, and Cherry Blossom were all near one another or skating enough. Close enough for something to get under both of their skins, for them to be willing to challenge Adam. What could that possibly-

Oh.

_Him._

His old friends have challenged Adam to a beef to _free Tadashi_.

His heart nearly careens out of his chest, and he has to force himself to maintain his composure. He is still a dog, still a servant to Adam, but now?

“What was it?” Adam purrs with a grin on his face, as if the man doesn’t know _exactly_ what, exactly _who_ , they are talking about.

Now, there is the slightest chance.

Kaoru simplys "Tch's" and and Kojiro scowls.

Then the attention drifts back to the two boys standing with Miya near the starting line, and Tadashi chokes back the bile that he can feel rising into the back of his throat.

It has been _years_ since Tadashi has seen someone who Adam was interested in. 

This poor boy.

And his poor friend.

He wants to weep at the sight of the red-haired boy standing up for Miya and protecting his friend, but he _knows_ this will be cruel and whatever Adam does will likely be unforgivable.

Tadashi glances around again, and his eyes, as if they have a mind of their own, travel back to pink and green. His old friends.

They’ve both grown into themselves, since Tadashi has last seen them. Watching them alongside Adam back at his lair isn’t the same as seeing them in person. And here? Tadashi can say they look astounding in person.

Tadashi cannot see Kaoru’s face behind the mask he wears, but he is certain the elegant man wears a somber expression. His hair is so much longer, but he wears it with grace. Clearly, his outfit has some new additions and Tadashi can only guess that Carla has had plenty of upgrades since he last saw her in action.

Beside him, Kojiro has also grown. He’s much more muscled now, and Tadashi knows that his speed on the board is unmatched in terms of power. However, he must have forgotten what a shirt is and Tadashi does _not_ let himself snicker at the sight.

As if they both know they are being watched, both legendary skaters turn and glance around in Tadashi’s direction.

For the first time in seven years, Tadashi meets their eyes.

Kaoru’s eyes widen ever so slightly, and after a moment where Tadashi maintains eye contact, he nods.

Beside him, Kojiro’s eyes also grow wide and the scowl disappears as a soft smile graces his face. He also nods, but just as Tadashi is about to look away, the chef’s mouth moves.

_“We’re coming for you.”_

With those few words, the world stops for Tadashi.

As much as he had heard their challenges, their words, just moments earlier, it was still… difficult to process. To truly understand.

Despite how he failed them, how he failed everyone, years ago, his… his _friends_ still care for him. Still really, truly, want to free him.

And when those two ridiculous fools work together? Well, Tadashi knows better than most that they are unstoppable.

Words cannot capture the gratitude that fills Tadashi’s heart at their slight gesture. Still, he makes sure Adam’s attention is elsewhere before mouthing back,

_“Thank you.”_

Even from this distance, Tadashi can tell that Kaoru’s shoulder slump in relief and Kojiro’s grin grows into something bright that suits him well.

Then, the red-haired boy lines up at the starting line against Adam and Tadashi just _knows_ this is going to be a shit show. It’s going to be ugly and cruel and sadistic, and that poor kid is absolutely going to get hurt.

And Tadashi doesn’t even want to think about the future where Adam skates with the blue-haired boy, Snow, the one he’s recently been obsessed over.

Glancing at the two of them fills Tadashi with guilt (that never truly leaves the nest it has dug out in his heart) because he could have prevented this. He could have stopped this beef from happening seven years ago, could have protected these boys and given them a chance to skate freely without being trapped in the claws of Adam.

But for the first time in seven years, Tadashi also realizes he might have a chance.

His friends are coming to free him.

He has hope.

And once he’s free? Well.

 _Nothing_ will stop him from standing up to Adam once again and protecting skaters like these two boys from the monster that is his master.

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy this personal guess/hc of mine. I told myself I would wait to write SK8 fanfic until szn 1 was complete, BUT. Episode 4 happened and I was possessed by the fic gremlin, okay? i couldn't CONTAIN myself.
> 
> Also, i Adore the idea of a skater being named Infinite, esp with the show title? Here I thought it would be a cool name for Tadashi to add to the Angst, but in the future I might make it Reki's Skating Name when he gets better & becomes a total baller who beats Adam, ya know?
> 
> anyway, you're welcome to come scream about sk8 with me on tumblr @ midoriyakazooku


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